What is summer learning loss and how to prevent it.
What is summer learning loss?
Summer learning loss or summer slide as it is sometimes referred to is a phenomenon which occurs during the long summer holiday where children forget some of what they learned in the past school year.
It is generally agreed that learning loss is more noticeable in mathematics than in literacy, but losses can be identified across all subjects.
It is common for teachers to observe lower test scores at the start of the autumn term than at the end of the summer term, due to summer learning loss, and of course the lost knowledge and skills must then be relearned. As adults we can have a similar experience following a week or two off work, what is your system login password, do you need to follow up on part of a project? It should come as no surprise then that children forget some of what they had previously learned during a 6-8 week summer break.
With children rejoicing as schools begin their long summer breaks what can parents do to prevent summer learning loss without ruining the holidays. The good news is that just a small amount of regular learning over the holiday can reduce and even prevent summer learning loss. It is important to note that children need some down time during the holidays, and we are not recommending parents embark on a full school programme over the holidays. There are many ways to engage children in learning during the holidays that can be fun and are often free. Here are some of our favourites.
Activities to prevent summer learning loss.
1. Get crafting.
Making things engages areas of the brain used for spatial awareness and reasoning and may require problem solving. Crafting can also help improve your child's attention span and has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health. Crafting can be something structured such as sewing, painting or model making, or as simple and free form as making something from scrap. Many areas have a local craft store where supplies can be purchased, and scrap stores which divert surplus items and waste materials away from landfill offer a huge variety of items for very little cost are popping up in more and more locations.
2. Get writing.
Encourage your child to keep a summer journal of things they do and learn, and places they visit. If you plan to visit a new town or city, or a historic site, research and write about the things you want to see and do there. The journal can be used as a reminder in the future of places you'd like to revisit.
3. Hit the library.
Encouraging your child to read for pleasure not only expands their vocabulary but may improve their writing skills and concentration. If your child is a reluctant reader, why not start with a comic book or graphic novel such as Roy of the Rovers by Rob Williams, or Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson. Borrowing books from the library is free and libraries often have free activities on offer for children during the holidays.
4. Go to a museum.
Museums can spark conversations about history, lifestyles, and objects, but museums aren't just full of boring old objects, there are museums celebrating a wide variety of things. Here are a few of the more unusual ones. Why not investigate what's available in your area.
- Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, Edinburgh
- House of Marbles, Bovey Tracey, Devon
- Jorvik Viking Centre, York
- Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, New Delhi, India
- The Fan Museum, Greenwich, London
5. Learn a new skill.
Learning a new skill keeps children's brains active and can help prevent boredom during the holidays. Learning some new skills can even incorporate hidden learning. Here are a few examples:
- Learning to bake requires the child to read a recipe, weigh out ingredients and may involve scaling quantities up or down to make larger or smaller batches.
- Learning to play an instrument can improve memory and develop hand eye co-ordination.
- Learning to knit can help improve dexterity and concentration. Knitting also contains hidden maths in counting stitches and converting numbers of stitches to length of knit.
6. Encourage physical exercise.
In the UK the NHS recommends that children aged 5 to 18 should aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity a day, aiming to spread activity throughout the day. Taking part in a variety of activities at different levels of intensity not only helps to develop movement skills, and strong muscles and bones, but also improves blood flow to the brain which helps with memory and learning.
Why not go on a timed scavenger hunt, go on a nature walk, or play football or cricket in the park.
7. Encourage some structured learning.
Following 6-8 weeks with no structured learning children can often struggle to sit still and concentrate in class at the start of term. Spending a small amount of time on some structured educational activities a few times a week will help avoid these issues.
Organising some structured learning activities may sound daunting but there are plenty of resources available to help, from workbooks to online learning programmes. Practicing skills and recalling knowledge by using educational resources aligned to the national curriculum will of course have a direct learning benefit, but sitting down to complete activities such as puzzles and brain teasers away from external distractions could also be beneficial and may not be perceived as schoolwork.
The BOFA® online learning platform provides work in bite-sized chunks of between 10 and 20 minutes and allows children to work through activities at their own pace.
You can purchase a BOFA® 8+ - 12+ subscription from just £9.50 a month here: bofa11plus.com/shop